To save time and stay organized while running a business, small or big, is monumental task, especially for women entrepreneurs. Whether you are single or married or a mom, you need to organize your business in a way that you also save some time for yourself. Organizing everything properly eliminates the clutter and keeps you away from the stress. By organizing things properly, you'll keep the mess away and start anew every day. Organizing and time saving are synonymous––if you are organized, you save time automatically. Plan how to begin and what are your priorities by following these steps.

Steps

Part 1

Promoting your business online

1

Put your business online. If you have just started, the option of listing your business with online business directories is one good idea. If you're wondering what this has to do with being organized, here's how it helps: If you list your business online, there is always a chance that it shows on the first page of any search engine. Organizing things online is much easier than doing it manually; moreover your business faces no fall backs, it is always kept updated by the listers, for instance, the Australian business pages directory. They provide unique services to keep your business on the top and keep it organized by frequently updating it for you.

Part 2

Keeping your workspace tidy

1

Keep your desktop clutter free. Every business is different, so keep your filing on the desktop properly organized. Tidiness will save you from the hassle of locating files from the messy file structure. Create a file structure on your computer or network that works for you. If you lack that, start with electronic folders labeled as:

Business planning

Sales and marketing

Design and logos

Financials

Legal

Personal.

2

Keep your files in their respective folders to avoid the chaos. If you have kids, this also helps to keep your files safe from your mischievous kids.

If you encounter a problem with a file, for instance, the file does not fit in a folder, create a sub-folder or a new one. The same procedure should be followed to structure your mails. Use folder headings for issues or mails that you receive most frequently.

3

Throw the mess away from your table. Throw away items you don't use, like pens, old computer disks, and scrap paper. Keep your desk clutter free by keeping supplies that you use regularly such as pens and pencils, a stapler, scissors, paper clips, a post-it pad, a note pad, a calendar and a phone message book. To stay organized, buy these essential products:

All in one printer – a scanner, copier, and fax machine. Each item saves a lot of your and your office assistant's (if you have one) time.

Use file sorters and letter trays to avoid files from piling up on your table.

Have at least three drawers in your desk for supplies, personal things and company items. They must have company logo on them.

4

Maintain an efficient filing system. Files keep piling up every year, and the bundle seems so annoying and messy when you want to search for an old file from a year or so before. As well as this system, do the following:

Store old files away: Files that you don't use regularly and are not needed anymore, should be stored in file boxes according to the dates or categories such as sales, promotion, legal, financial and personal.

Keep old materials safe: Store these file boxes in some confidential place such as closets or at an off-site storage room, keys of which should only be with you. Keep a copy of keys at home and at the office.

Part 3

Saving time

1

Seek to save time as much as possible. Even though you are going to save enough time when you are organized, there are a few tips that can help you save more time, as outlined in this part.

2

Save 900 hours a year by doing this trick. Never end a call or a meeting without planning your next step. Before ending a call, no matter how short it is, begin your next step during a call or a meeting itself. This way you will never have to figure out what's next.

For example: It's not you who has to assign the next step to yourself again and again. When you are a leader, you are going to ask others to follow up on things. A twentieth of every minute should be saved to review next step. This way, you can save 12 minutes in an hour long meeting and 900 hours per year.

In a 5 minute call, you can make two email introductions for your client. This way you won't even forget and would send mail instantly.

In a half an hour long meeting, you can note down things during a meeting and can plan how to go about it after the meeting is over. While in a call, you can forward the documents to your investor or clients, thereby saving 5 minutes of yours.

3

Keep a track of hours you have in a day. It is very important to schedule your daily time. Have a plan and stick to it.

Schedule your time on a planner––a wall or a desk calender, a notebook that you use to pen down your appointments, your multi-task watch maybe, or a computer program.

You must alert people beforehand what you want from them and if something has just come up, instead of mailing a person, call him or her so that he or she responds immediately. Leave a voice message and a mail both, if he or she doesn't take your call.

Set deadlines for your employees and for yourself, so that all work is done on time.

4

Schedule time for email and social media. Adopt a business listing system as mentioned at the beginning of this article; it keeps your business updated. Email and social media can be big waste of time. Social media can be a distraction, check social media sites only twice in a day for notifications.

Use a Central Social Media Management System for marketing purposes on social media; you may have more than one account, a central dashboard like 'Hootsuite' can help you avoid going back and forth between sites. It even helps you schedule posts throughout the day so you don't have to keep signing up again and again.

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Tips

In order to save more time, avoid distractions like your phone, TV, chatty co-workers and the like. This way you can remain stress-free and you can take out some extra time for your family and yourself. To be a successful entrepreneur, you need to have some good management skills.